[cctalk] Re: Waaaay OT: Re: Re: Classic computing - earliest years

I shall shift into BeerMode, everyone else seems to be there Well now, the steam engine originated in the UK in the 1700's Cotton spinning machines and designs were half inched from the UK by the Yankees in the 1800's More recently, the ARM architecture originated in the UK, the English Fens to be specific Also from the English fens was Microprogramming, thanks to Maurice Wilkes of cantab ~1950 Then there is the Manchester Baby and its adjunct the Williams Tube, as copied by MIT in the '50s . But, if you want humour the C5 personal transporter (motorised clog) is another offering from the Sinclair stable Enjoy Fritag abend Martin -----Original Message----- From: Fred Cisin via cctalk [mailto:cctalk@classiccmp.org] Sent: 17 October 2025 21:49 To: Van Snyder via cctalk <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Cc: Fred Cisin <cisin(a)xenosoft.com> Subject: [cctalk] Re: Waaaay OT: Re: Re: Classic computing - earliest years On Fri, 17 Oct 2025, Van Snyder via cctalk wrote: Although how to leak oil remains a problem to solve, they can at least use Lucas electrical parts! Did they ever make a Dark Emitting Diode? (there are other ways to accomplish things without needing AC capacitors and DC wound transformers.) There used to be some English computers, and some were very interesting. Such as Amstrad The Sinclair ZX80? (rebadged as Timex) doorstop wedge was the first computer to sell for $100 or less in USA. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com